Low Carbon Benefits of Corn Ethanol
FEATURED - Publications
This White Paper walks through the state of science as it relates to the lifecycle GHG emissions of corn ethanol and makes recommendations for updating lifecycle modeling used to inform low carbon policy decisions.
American Coalition for Ethanol - White Paper - Published August 2018
Click Here to Read the White PaperRetrospective analysis of the U.S. corn ethanol industry for 2005–2019: implications for greenhouse gas emission reductions
Argonne National Laboratory - Biofuels, Bioproducts and Biorefining
May 2021 - View Report
Carbon intensity of corn ethanol in the United States: state of the science
Harvard University, Tufts University and EH&E Inc.
January 2021 - View Report
The Clean Fuels Policy for the Midwest white paper is the result of nearly two years of analysis and stakeholder discussion by the Midwestern Clean Fuels Initiative facilitated by GPI. The Initiative’s consensus white paper illustrates broad support for a policy by diverse interests. The paper is intended to inform further discussion of new and existing clean fuels policies and how they could be tailored to benefit the Midwest.
Great Plains Institute - White Paper - Published January 2020
Click Here to Read the White PaperClosing the Transportation Emissions Gap with Clean Fuels
Rhodium Group
January 2021 - View Report
Engagement on Improvements to the GREET Model
ACE Executive Committee Member and Past Board President Ron Alverson has been been engaging with Dr. Michael Wang and his team of scientists at Argonne National Lab since 2014. Since then, we have successfully convinced them to make the following improvements to GREET:
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Update tillage intensity and land use change assumptions
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Reduce CO2 assumptions from lime use by 30%
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Reduce direct N2O emissions from fertilizer use by 20%
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Will begin accounting for ‘4R’ nitrogen management
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Create a Feedstock Carbon Intensity Calculator to help account for SOC impacts of individual crops
In the 2020 version of GREET, Argonne National Lab included a new Feedstock Carbon Intensity Calculator (FD-CIC). Following the latest update release, ACE sent a letter 12.18.20 with the Kansas Corn Growers Association and South Dakota Corn Growers Association regarding a tweak we would like them to make in regards to the FD-CIC tool in the 2020 version of GREET. While this tool will help account for upstream farming practice effects on the lifecycle carbon intensity of corn ethanol, it does not allow for a corn-specific estimation. Instead it simply uses an average corn-soybean rotation. Corn has superior soil carbon sequestration potential over soybean, so we think it’s unfair to average soybean into the corn effect. Our letter calls on Argonne to equip the FD-CIC to calculate the effects of individual feedstock crops, and in the future, requests that Argonne also account for 4R nitrogen management in the tool. Following our letter, Dr. Wang has expressed interest in tackling both recommendations with tweaks to help us understand how much carbon is stored by corn production and allow GREET users to plug in their own nitrogen fertilizer management factors to generate a lower CI score.
Videos
ACE is working to convince ANL to make other important improvements to GREET in the future, including:
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Update assumptions about corn transportation distance and farm-level use of biofuels
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Reduce indirect N2O emissions from fertilizer use
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Account for the soil organic carbon impacts of individual crops and allocate credit to crops that sequester soil carbon
11.23.20 - Ethanol in a MW CFP
2.26.19 - Benefits of Ethanol
10. 12. 20 - Introduction to GREET
6.3.20 - GREET Model 101
6.3.20 - Policy Opportunities
Ethanol Today Issues & Recent ACE Press Statements on Low Carbon
Ethanol Today
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2022 March/April - The Quest to Quantify GHG-Reducing Farming Practices and Carbon Stored in Soils
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2021 May/June - Minnesota Making History with Clean Fuels Legislation
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2021 January/February – Ethanol’s Role in Low Carbon Conversation Shifts to National Stage
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2020 March/April – First Steps Taken Toward a Midwestern Clean Fuels Policy
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2019 January/February – Elevating Ethanol’s Carbon Benefits
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2018 May/June – A Penny A Gram Turns into Millions
ACE Press Statements
2022
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August - ACE: Climate Bill Confirms Role Farmers, Biofuel Producers Can Play in Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions
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June - ACE Introduces Carbon Intensity Calculator to Showcase Ethanol's Ability to Reach Net-Zero and Net-Negative GHGs
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April - ACE TO EPA: Adopt Greet Model and Recognize Ethanol's Low Carbon Value
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February - Correcting Misrepresentations of the Environmental Outcomes of the RFS
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January - ACE, Industry Groups Encourage CARB to Recognize Climate-Smart Farming Practices in Low Carbon Fuel Standard
2021
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November - ACE Supports Policies to Credit Farmers and Ethanol Producers for Reaching Net-Zero GHGs by 2050
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October - ACE Thanks Argonne for 2021 GREET Model Updates
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September - ACE Welcomes the Latest Study Strengthening Corn Ethanol's Low Carbon Value Proposition by Displacing Aromatics
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August - ACE Testimony to EPA Advocates for Greater Emphasis on Low Carbon, High Octane Ethanol in Vehicle Emissions Standards
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August - ACE: Low Carbon Ethanol Available Now to Make Meaningful Reductions in GHGs to Reach Climate Goals
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May - ACE Commends Argonne Scientists for Providing FUrther Evidence Demonstrating Why Ethanol Must be Part of the Climate Solution
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April - ACE Recommends USDA Establish Framework to Reward Farmers, Biofuel Facilities for Carbon Cutting Contributions in its Climate Strategy
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April - ACE on Renewable Fuels' role in the U.S. NDC Under the Paris Agreement
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March - ACE Supports Minneasota "Future FUels Act" to enact first clean fuel standard in the Midwest
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February - ACE SUPPORTS LEGISLATION TO REQUIRE EPA ADOPT GREET MODEL
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January - NEW STUDY SHOWING CORN ETHANOL REDUCES CARBON EMISSIONS BY NEARLY 50 PERCENT CITES ACE LOW CARBON WHITE PAPER
2020
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October - ACE COMMENDS ARGONNE FOR 2020 UPDATES TO GREET MODEL INCLUDING NEW FEEDSTOCK CARBON INTENSITY CALCULATOR
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September - NEXT GENERATION FUELS ACT OF 2020 INCLUDES KEY PRIORITIES, BUT CARBON ACCOUNTING APPROACH UNDERMINES MANY ACE MEMBERS
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August - CORN GROWERS, ETHANOL SUPPORTERS TO EPA: STOP PENALIZING ETHANOL BLENDS
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August - ACE: ADOPT GREET ACT ANOTHER POINTED REMINDER EPA MUST UPDATE ITS ANTIQUATED ANALYSIS OF ETHANOL’S GHG BENEFITS
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August - ACE WELCOMES SENATE DEMOCRATS’ REPORT PROVIDING MORE CONGRESSIONAL CREDIT TO BIOFUEL’S ROLE IN REDUCING GHG EMISSIONS
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July - CORN GROWERS, ETHANOL SUPPORTERS AGAIN CHALLENGE EPA’S FLAWED TESTING AND MODELING
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June - ACE COMMENDS HOUSE CLIMATE COMMITTEE FOR REPORT ACKNOWLEDGING ETHANOL IS PART OF THE SOLUTION TO REDUCE GHG EMISSIONS
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June - ACE THANKS SENATORS THUNE, SHAHEEN FOR INTRODUCING A BILL TO APPROVE LONG-STALLED RFS PATHWAY APPLICATIONS
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March - ACE: FINAL SAFE VEHICLES RULE MISSED OPPORTUNITY FOR HIGH OCTANE, LOW CARBON ETHANOL
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January - NEW REPORT SHOWS HOW A CLEAN FUELS POLICY FOR THE MIDWEST SHOULD BE DESIGNED
Other Ethanol Reports & Publications
Lifecycle Energy & GHG Impacts |
Land Use Impacts |
Human Health & Air Quality |
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GHG Emissions Reductions due to the RFS2 - A 2020 update Life Cycle Associates, LLC (for Renewable Fuels Association) February 8, 2021 - View PDF |
The impact of considering land intensification and updated data on biofuels land use change and emissions estimates Taheripour, F., Zhao, X., and Tyner, W.E., Purdue University July 20, 2017 – View PDF |
Fuel Blending Guide for Ethanol: Identifying Sound Practices for Acquiring or Blending Fuels for Studies of Emissions Changes Future Fuel Strategies (for Urban Air Initiative) June 2020 – View PDF |
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A global meta‐analysis of soil organic carbon response to corn stover removal Hui Xu, Heidi Sieverding, Hoyoung Kwon, David Clay, Catherine Stewart, Jane M. F. Johnson, Zhangcai Qin, Douglas L. Karlen & Michael Wang May 9, 2019 – View PDF |
The social inefficiency of regulating ILUC due to biofuels Khanna et al., University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign June 26, 2017 – View PDF |
Emissions from a flex fuel GDI vehicle operating on ethanol fuels show marked contrasts in chemical, physical and toxicological characteristics as a function of ethanol content September 2019 – View Article |
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The Greenhouse Gas Benefits of Corn Ethanol – assessing recent evidence Jan Lewandrowski, Jeffrey Rosenfeld, Diana Pape, Tommy Hendrickson, Kirsten Jaglo & Katrin Moffroid March 25, 2019 – View PDF |
Measured extent of agricultural expansion depends on analysis technique Dunn et al., U.S. DOE-Argonne National Laboratory, Genscape & University of Illinois at Chicago December 8, 2016 – View PDF |
Comparison of real-world vehicle fuel use and tailpipe emissions for gasoline-ethanol fuel blends August 2019 – View Article |
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A Life-Cycle Analysis of the Greenhouse Gas Emissions of Corn-Based Ethanol ICF (for U.S. Department of Agriculture) January 12, 2017 – View PDF |
Understanding the revised land use changes and greenhouse gas emissions induced by biofuels Gohin, A., SMART – LERECO September 2015 – View PDF |
Bioethanol Blending Reduces Nanoparticle, PAH, and Alkyl- and Nitro-PAH Emissions and the Genotoxic Potential of Exhaust from a Gasoline Direct Injection Flex-Fuel Vehicle October 2017 – Read Here |
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Review of John DeCicco et al. Article titled “Carbon balance effects of U.S. biofuel production and use” Steffen Mueller, PhD; University of Illinois at Chicago Energy Resources Center September 6, 2016 – View PDF |
Response to Environmental Research Letters article, “Cropland expansion outpaces agricultural and biofuel policies in the United States” (Lark et al.) Dunn, J. et al., U.S. DOE-Argonne National Laboratory, University of Illinois at Chicago & U.S. DOE-Oak Ridge National Laboratory April 29, 2015 – View PDF |
Air Pollution from Gasoline Powered Vehicles and the Potential Benefits of Ethanol Blending – A Review of Particulate, Nitrous Oxide, and Volatile Organic Compound Pollution Energy Future Coalition Unite Nations Foundation October 2016 – View PDF |
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GHG Emission Reductions from World Biofuel Production and Use – 2015 (S&T)2 Consultants Inc. (for Global Renewable Fuels Alliance) November 26, 2015 – View PDF |
Supporting Climate-Smart Farming Practives through Midwestern Clean Fuels Policies Great Plains Institute June 2, 2022- View PDF |
Change in Air Quality Impacts Associated with the Use of E15 Blends Instead of E10 Unnasch, S. and Henderson, A., Life Cycle Associates, LLC July 2014 – View PDF |
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Well-to-Wheels Greenhouse Gas Emissions Analysis of High-Octane Fuels with Various Market Shares and Ethanol Blending Levels Han, J., Elgowainy, A., and Wang, M., U.S. DOE-Argonne National Laboratory July 14, 2015– View PDF |
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Change in Air Quality Impacts Associated with the Use of E15 Blends Instead of E10 Unnasch, S. and Henderson, A., Life Cycle Associates, LLC July 2014 – View PDF |